The 33-year-old Drury put on a show in spring training with the White Sox last year when he hit .410/.439/.821 with three home runs and seven doubles in just 41 at-bats. He appeared to have secured a spot in Chicago’s Opening Day club, but suffered a broken thumb in the final days of camp, ending any hope of cracking the roster. The veteran utility man struggled in the minors upon his return and was eventually let go by the ChiSox. He didn’t fare much better with a minor league deal with the Angels. Drury didn’t play in the Majors last year, finishing the season hitting a disappointing .214/.338/.323 in 228 minor league plate appearances after that ill-timed hand injury.
Of course, Drury has plenty of track records in the major leagues. It’s been an up-and-down career for the right-handed slugger, but at his best he has shown the ability to hit 25 home runs in a season, albeit typically with a low on-base percentage.
Drury’s most recent big league work came in 2024, when he struggled through a career-worst year, hitting just .169/.242/.228 with subpar defense in 97 games for the Angels. However, he was great in the two previous seasons. From 2022-2023, Drury slashed .262/.313/.495 with 54 home runs, 64 doubles, five triples, a 5.8% walk rate and a 24% strikeout rate in 1,091 plate appearances between the Reds, Padres and Angels.
Drury is a bat-first utility player and has extensive experience at all four corner positions and second base, although he is not considered a strong defender at any of those five spots. That probably won’t change as he reaches his mid-30s, but there’s still some value in being a below-average option even at multiple spots on the diamond if his bat can get back on track.
The royals did that Vinnie Pasquantino And Michael Garcia entrenched at first base and third base respectively. They added Isaac Collins in an offseason trade with the Brewers and look to give the late-blooming switch-hitter the majority of playing time in left field. Former top pick and top prospect Jac Caglianon gets the first crack at right field, with free agent pickup Avenue Thomas perhaps serving as a platoon partner. Jonathan India will look for a rebound campaign at second base.
The presence of that quintet – plus catcher Salvador Perezwho will spend much of the time at DH and first base this year, makes for a busy look at Drury’s positions. He could still compete for a bench job, and having him around provides some depth in case of injuries to the top options currently on the roster.
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